Universal combination collapsible flatiron rest and cord control



Aug. 4. 1953 J. A. WERSCHING UNIVERSAL COMBINATION COLLAPSIBLE FLATIRON REST AND CORD CONTROL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24, 1950 ATTOQMEYS Aug. '4, 1953 WERSCHING 7,7 3

J. A. UNIVERSAL COMBINA'EION COLLAPSIBLE FLATIRON REST AND CORD CONTROL Filed Feb. 24, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I JNVENTOR.

J ACOB A. WERscH l N6 BY ATT o ILN 5Y5 Aug. 4, 1953 J. A. WERSCHING 2,647,713

UNIVERSAL COMBINATION- COLLAPSIBLE FLATIRON REST AND CORD CONTROL 3 Sheets-$heet 3 Filed Feb. 24, 19 50 INVENTOR. JACOB A.WEI25C.HIN6

ATTQQNEYS top edges of the side arms 32, 32. Mounted on the shaft 33 are respective coiled springs 39, 39, the inner ends of the springs being secured to shaft 33 and the outer ends being hooked, as shown at 49, and engaged in the apertured lower ends of respective downwardly and-forwardlyinclined arms 4| carried by rod 31, as shown in Figure 5.

The intermediate portion of the shaft 33 carries a spring 40 which is formed with a loop 42 which is engageable by a stud 43 threaded through the mid-portion of the shaft. The loop 42 bears on the stud 43 when the shaft 33 is rotated clockwise, as viewed in Figure 5. The ends of the spring coils 42, 42 of spring 40 are secured to rear wall 23 by a clamp plate 43, as shown in Figure 4. When shaft 33 is rotated clockwise, as viewed in Figure 5, stud 43' engages loop 42 and coils 42 then exert a counterclockwise biasing force on shaft 33. This biasing force is transmitted through springs 39 to the arms 4|, biasing rod 31 downwardly in the slots 36.

The free ends of the arms 32 are formed with clamping sleeves 44, and secured therein are respective elongated tubular rods 45, 45. Secured to the ends of the rods 45, 45 is a plug receptacle 46. The ends of the arms 32 are connected adjacent sleeves 44 by transverse tubular members 41 on which is mounted a junction box 48. A two-wire electric cord 49 enter junction box 48, as shown in Figure 3. Respective single-wire cords 50 enter the sides of the junction box through tubes 41 and are connected therein to the respective wires of the line cord 49. The single-wire cords 59 extend through the respective tubular rods 45 to the plug receptacle 46, as shown in Figure 3.

The top edges of the respective side arms 32 are each formed with cam surfaces comprising an end detent portion an arcuate portion 52, a forward sloping portion 53, an arcuate crest portion 54, a rear sloping portion 55 and a rear detent portion 55. When the rods 45, 45 are in forwardly-extending horizontal positions overlying the ironing board, as shown in Figure 2, the rollers 38 are engaged in the rear detent portions 55, holding the rods 45, 4-5 in the aforesaid positions. The rods 45, 45 may be elevated by rotating them counterclockwise, as viewed in Fi ure 2, forcing the rollers 33 upwardly over the arcuate crest portions 54- and allowing said rollers to descend onto the arcuate trough portions 52. This is the position shown in Figure 1.

The springs 39 exert a biasing torque on shaft 33 which is insufficient to force rollers 38 over the arcuate crest portions 54, but which is sufficient to rotate arms 32 rearwardly once the rollers have descended onto the arcuate trough portions 52. In use of the device, a fiatiron, shown at 55, is connected to plug receptacle 45 by a conventional appliance cord 51, preferably of the type having a spring-coiling device 58 mounted thereon, whereby during use of the iron the appliance cord 51 exerts spring tension on the receptacle 46. The biasing torque acting on the arms 32 opposes this spring tension, whereby the cord 51 is maintained in an extended position during use of the iron and the rods 45 are likewise maintained under said biasing torque.

The net force acting on the fiatiron 55 is just suificient to maintain the appliance cord 51 in a relatively taut condition and is not great enough to substantially impede movements of the flatiron over the ironing board. When the operator is not ironing, the flatiron 55 is placed on pan member 3|, whereby the appliancecord 51 is coiled up by the cord spring 58 and the rods 45, 45 swing to vertical positions because of the biasing torque exerted on shaft 33 by the springs 39, 39. The rotational movement of side arms 32, 32 to positions wherein the rollers 38 engage in the detent portions 5| is cushioned by the tensioning of spring coils 42,- 42, preventing shock and rebound of the'side arms.

The channel member 22 is provided with a front cover member 59 formed with vertical lower corner notches 60 through which the arms 4| pass. Cover member 59 has apertured top and bottom flanges BI and 62, the top and bottom wall portions of the channel member 22 being formed with indentations '63 lockingly engaging the apertures in the flanges SI and 62.

When the ironing board is to be folded for storage, pan member 3| is swung to the inverted position of Figure 2 overlying the rear end of the ironing board, and the rods 45, 45 are swung downwardly to horizontal positions adjacent the board, as shown in Figure 2. The rollers 38 are engaged in the detent portions 56 and releasably lock the rods 45, 45 in said horizontal positions. When the frame I4 is folded up against the board, the entire assembly may be stored in an upstanding position resting on the resilient pad 21 of the attachment I5.

In the embodiment of Figures '1 to 10, a transverse channel III! is secured to the ends of the rotatable side arms, shown at 32, and secured to the ends of said channel are the tubular rods 45. The respective wire cords 59, 50 extendfrom a terminal strip I92 secured in the channel IIlI, through the rods 45 to a forwardly facing female receptacle 46, whereby the iron plug may be inserted in said receptacle from the forward side thereof, as shown in dotted view in Figure '7. The channel IllI is provided with a top cover I93.

As shown in Figure 8, the springs 39 of Figure 4 may be replaced by shorter springs 39. An additional inner spring I40 may be employed within spring 40, as shown in Figure 8, the loop I42 of said inner spring being located ahead of the loop of spring 40, with respect to the stud 43. This provides increasing steps of biasing force on shaft 33 when said shaft is rotated to bring stud 43 successively into engagement with loop I42 and then into engagement with the loop of spring 40.

The side plates, shown at I6, are suitably cut away to provide clearance for the channel |0| when the rods 45 are swung to the horizontal position shown in full line view in Figure 7.

Although a specific embodiment of a combination collapsible fiatiron rest and ironing cord receptacle device has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An ironing board attachment of the character described, comprising a frame adapted to be secured to an end portion of an ironing board, a pan member hinged to said frame for rotation around a horizontal transverse axis, support means on the frame spaced so as to underlie and support the pan member when the pan member is in a rearwardly-swung horizontal position, a pair of tubular arms pivoted to the frame on opposite sides thereof for vertical swingingmove ment and arranged to receive the pan member therebetween, a plug receptacle carried by the ends of said arms, respective conductors extending through said arms and connected to the plug receptacle, and spring means biasing the arms toward elevated positions.

2. An ironing board attachment of the character described, comprising a frame adapted to be secured to an end portion of an ironing board, a pan member hinged to said frame for rotation around a horizontal transverse axis, support, means on the frame spaced as to underlie and support the pan member when the pan member is in a rearwardly-swung horizontal position, respective vertical side plates pivoted to the frame on opposite sides thereof for vertical swinging movement, respective tubular arms carried by the side plates and arranged to receive the pan member therebetween, a plug receptacle carried by the ends of said arms, respective conductors extending through said arms and connected to the plug receptacle, spring means biasing the arms toward elevated positions, and resilient means carried by the frame and engaging an edge of at least one of the side plates, said edge being formed with a locking recess in which said resilient means is engageable.

3. An ironing board attachment of the character described, comprising a frame adapted to be secured to an end portion'of an ironing board, a pan member hinged to said frame for rotation around a horizontal transverse axis, support means on the frame spaced so as to underlie and support the pan member when the pan member is in a rearwardly-swung horizontal position, respective side plates pivoted to the frame on opposite sides thereof for vertical swinging movement, respective tubular arms carried by the side plates, a plug receptacle carried by the ends of said arms, respective conductors extending through said arms and connected to the plug receptacle, spring means biasing the arms toward elevated positions, a transverse shaft member extending through the frame, means on the frame guiding the shaft member for vertical movement, means on the shaft member for engaging the top edges of the side plates, and means connecting said shaft member to said spring means, said latter means urging the shaft member downwardly, said top edges being each formed with spaced locking recesses in which the shaft member is engageable.

4. An ironing board attachment of the character described, comprising a frame adapted to be secured to an end portion of an ironing board, a pan member movably connected to said frame, a pair of tubular arms pivoted to the frame on opposite sides thereof for vertical swinging movement and arranged to receive said pan member therebetween, means on the frame arranged to support said pan member in horizontal position between said arms, a plug receptacle carried by the ends of said arms, respective conductors extending through said arms and connected to the plug receptacle, spring means biasing the arms toward elevated positions, and cooperating means carried by said arms and said spring means limiting upward movement of said arms.

5. An ironing board attachment of the character described comprising a frame adapted to be secured to an end portion of an ironing board, a pan member hinged to said frame for rotation around a horizontal transverse axis, support means on the frame spaced so as to underlie and support the pan member when the pan member is in a rearwardly swung horizontal position, respective side plates pivoted to the frame on opposite sides thereof for vertical swinging movement, respective tubular arms carried by the side plates, a plug receptacle carried by the ends of said arms, respective conductors extending through said arms and connected to the plug receptacle, spring means biasing the arms toward elevated positions, a transverse shaft member extending through the frame, means on the frame guiding the shaft member for vertical movement, means on the shaft member for engaging the top edges of the side plates, and means connecting said shaft member to said spring means, said latter means urging the shaft members downwardly, said top edges being each formed with a locking recess in which the shaft member is engageable.

6. An ironing board attachment of the character described comprisin a frame adapted to be secured to an end portion of an ironing board, a pan member hinged to said frame for rotation around a horizontal transverse axis, support means on the frame spaced so as to underlie and support the pan member when the pan member is in a rearwardly swung horizontal position, respective side plates pivoted to the frame on opposite sides thereof for vertical swinging movement, respective tubular arms carried by the side plates and arranged to receive said pan member therebetween, a plug receptacle carried by the ends of said arms, respective conductors extending through said arms and connected to the plug receptacle, spring means biasing the arms toward elevated positions, a transverse shaft member extending through the frame, means on the frame guiding the shaft member for vertical movement, means on the shaft member for engaging the top edges of the side plates, and means connecting said shaft member to said spring means, and biasing the shaft member downwardly, said side plates including detent means lockingly engageable with the shaft member.

7. In an ironing board attachment of the character described, a frame adapted to be secured to an end portion of an ironing board, a pan member movably connected to said frame, a pair of arms pivoted to the frame on opposite sides thereof for vertical swinging movement and arranged to receive said pan member therebetween, means on the frame arranged to support said pan member in a substantially horizontal position between said arms, a plug receptacle carried by the ends of said arms, spring means biasing the arms toward elevated positions, and cooperating means carried by said arms and said spring means limiting upward movement of said arms.

JACOB A. WERSCHING.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,201,598 Towler May 21, 1940 2,242,298 Halsey May 20, 1941 2,482,957 Willens Sept. 27, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 383,697 Great Britain Nov. 24,1932 

